US-China agreement; Casey Means confirmation hearing: NPR

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Today’s best stories

Today, President Trump and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping met and reached agreement on several points in the trade negotiations. Trump announced that the United States would lower tariffs from 20% to 10% because China pledged to do more to curb exports of fentanyl ingredients. China will postpone export controls on rare earths and resume buying American soybeans. U.S. and Chinese economic officials worked out trade details in Malaysia over the weekend.

• 🎧 Xi and Trump met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. Trump said he did not come to South Korea for APEC or Korean issues, but to meet with the Chinese leader. On social media, Trump announced that the United States would resume nuclear weapons testing “on an equal footing” with Russia and China. NPR’s Anthony Kuhn elaborates First that while Russia and China are improving and expanding their nuclear arsenals, neither country has tested atomic bombs since the 1990s. Kuhn adds that Xi did not respond to Trump’s statement, but “couldn’t have liked it much.” Kuhn believes that if Trump’s announcement was intended to pressure China into engaging in dialogue on arms control, it could backfire and lead to an arms race.

More than 65,000 infants, toddlers and preschoolers could lose access to their local Head Start centers in the United States starting November 1 due to the government shutdown. The federal program provides child care and early learning services to low-income families.

• 🎧 Without federal funds, 134 Head Start programs are scrambling to find alternative fundingsays NPR’s Cory Turner. If the programs end, many working families may have to choose between going to work and caring for their children. Corey Holcomb, who runs a Head Start program in Michigan, told Turner that his agency obtained two extra weeks of funding by tapping other resources in the hopes that they would be reimbursed. They also requested postponements on certain bills.

Trump’s pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, will have his confirmation hearing before a Senate committee today. The president announced that Means would replace his original choice, a Fox News contributor, more than five months ago. Means is a wellness influencer and entrepreneur. Last year she published the bestselling book Good energy. Here’s what to look out for during the hearing.

• 🎧 NPR’s Will Stone says the hearing is somewhat unusual because it will be held virtually and Means will participate remotely. Stone says he expects she will be questioned about her qualifications and potential conflicts of interest. Some medical and public health professionals have pushed back on Means’ confirmation. They highlighted her lack of qualifications and note that she dropped out of her surgical residency and does not have an active medical license. Critics argue that Means does not have the leadership or clinical experience typically expected of the surgeon general, who is considered the nation’s top doctor.

Deep dive

Over the past year, many Federal law enforcement agents making immigration-related arrests conceal their faces under masks, and vehicles used in what appear to be immigration-related arrests do not have license plates.

Getty Images, Tik tok, eyes up

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Getty Images, Tik tok, eyes up

Over the past year, many federal law enforcement agents making immigration-related arrests have hidden their identities. They not only hid their faces, but also their vehicles. NPR found through a review of videos that vehicles used by agents during immigration arrests were sometimes missing license plates or had plates that had been replaced with their originals. Immigration advocates say that as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement increases its presence across the United States, untraceable vehicles can add to confusion about what tactics its agents can or should use, and could make it harder for people to hold agents accountable for their actions.

• 🚨 ICE spokesperson Mike Alvarez informed NPR that federal regulations require government vehicles to display license plates on the front and rear. However, this requirement may be waived if the presentation of the plates would interfere with investigative, law enforcement, intelligence or security operations.
• 🚨 Some states prohibit the exchange of license plates on vehicles. However, photos taken by activists and videos shared on social media suggest that some federal agents are doing it anyway. Some activists have also spotted vehicles with a license plate on the front that does not match the one on the back.
• 🚨 In Washington and Illinois, some videos shared on social media show federal agents making arrests in vehicles marked with Mexican objects or icons. Asked about the tactic, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the agency believes its employees do not disguise their identities.

Learn more about the tactics agents use to make immigration arrests.

Life advice

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When someone close to you behaves in a way that bothers you, should you step back from the relationship or address it? Therapist KC Davis shared some practical tips with Life kit about how to move forward when these relationships become difficult. Davis has some guiding questions to help you make the best decision for your situation.

• 🤝Why does this behavior seem reprehensible to you? This question can help you identify the problem and decide how to move forward. This can help you determine if the behavior is something you don’t like or if it is hurtful.
• 🤝Are they ready to change? You can have a conversation with the person about the problem and work together on a solution.
• 🤝 Does staying in this relationship violate my values? If a relationship threatens your physical and psychological safety, as well as that of minor children, it is contrary to your values ​​to continue interacting with that person.

For advice on how to decide whether to step back from a difficult relationship or stick with it, listen to this episode of NPR Life kit. Subscribe to THE Life kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

3 things to know before you leave

1. In the central square of a Colombian town, NPR’s Jon Otis came across men in cowboy hats preparing carne a la llanera, which means “prairie-style meat.” This week’s Far-Flung postcard explores this culinary tradition.
2. NPR’s “Word of the Week” is “neurodivergent,” which took off on Google Trends amid widespread coronavirus lockdowns in June 2020. The term refers to the different ways people’s brains differ from what is considered normal in the United States. Here is the story behind this word.
3. Restaurant chains across the country continue to serve familiar dishes, attracting people even amid high food prices. NPR wants to find out why, and you could help us. Share your thoughts on the roles these restaurants play in American culture.

This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.